re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature".

quote:We have had multiple instances of 19-20 year olds playing HS football here that have never failed a grade. Their parents actually put them in Kindergarten as a 6 or 7 year old...

I'm guessing that for many, the new LHSAA rule about staying back and using up eligibility is having an effect.

Back in my day, this was done ALL THE TIME in the eighth grade. Private school coaches would go recruit all over the city and these kids would come in and repeat the eighth grade -- just for sports. My school had 30 kids repeat the eighth grade, and 4 of them were actually placed in the Honors Class.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 9:41 am to bamaphan13)

There will be kids like 9 months older than him. I have a June birthday. The only negative is that you never get to celebrate your birthday with the class (although my school allowed summer kids to have birthday parties on their half-birthday)

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 9:43 am to Newbomb Turk)

quote:Back in my day, this was done ALL THE TIME in the eighth grade.

At my school it was commonly done in eighth or ninth grade. The kids would just progress through on their math, science and foreign language classes while repeating English, History, etc. Some would then graduate in December of our senior year and go start college to be part of spring practice. Others just got extra study halls or electives (weight training) and graduated with the class, often with a full athletic scholarship.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 9:43 am to Lsupimp)

I have some friends who did this with their son. He has a late spring birthday and is a month older than my daughter. He was actually reading before her in Kindergarten and seemed to be doing fine academically, but his parents felt he just wasn't ready for 1st grade. His mom has degrees in early childhood education and elementary ed, so I guess she knew what she expected out of him and he just didn't have it.

I always thought it was funny when someone would ask me if I was holding my daughter back because of her "late" birthday, when really there never seemed like a reason to do so.

FWIW, my son, whose birthday is in September, was held back but this was due mostly to his speech/language delays and lag in fine/gross motor skills. Emotional maturity was never brought up when we discussed with his teachers the possibility of him repeating a grade.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 9:45 am to Lsupimp)

pimp, I didn't read any replies but can tell you my experience with my 2 boys.

Son #1 turned 5 on August 3. He went to Kindergarten that year. He tested off the charts. We were first time parents and didn't "know any better". During that year we moved across the state and he obviously transferred. We put him in the Catholic school where MOST people will NOT send their child to Kindergarten if their birthday is anywhere close to the cutoff. I was asked time adn time again "why did you do that??" "Why didn't you wait?" IDK -- he was 5 and that's when you go to school? When that son graduated hs with a 4.0, he was a COMPLETE YEAR YOUNGER than many in his class and ONE OF THE MOST MATURE. Doing great at LSU.

Son #2 turned 5 3 days before the "cutoff". We did NOT send him as I/we caved to peer pressure from other parents and the school. His friends from preschool (at a private center, not the school he was attending K) were "being held back". For us, it worked out great ... he's a different child than the first son and he's one of the oldest in his class. I see the immaturity of boys who are almost 15 compared to mine who is almost 16.

Then there's the "problem" of not being able to drive" until their 16 .. our son will be a sophomore driving -- had we sent him at age 5, he'd be a junior which Lord knows I need help getting these kids where they gotta go!

Now our daughter fell with a birthday in February .. no decision there. She was 5 1/2 when she went to K.

I think you just have to do what you think it right. YES I caved to peer pressure from parents but in the long run it really did work out for the better for US and HIM. We did NOT do it with any intention of it being for sports.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 9:49 am to Lsupimp)

Definetly a money grab if a private school is pushing for this and it isn't grade related.

We are probably holding mine back in first grade because he's not progressing well enough in reading to advance. The public school wants to push him through because he has enough "quality points" (meaning a D or above for 2 out of four of the nine weeks).

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 9:57 am to Newbomb Turk)

quote:In the PC culture of today, "educators" (and I use that term loosely) just can't comprehend the idea of a 5-year old boy acting like a 5-year old boy. They have been so brainwashed into thinking that all of these kids should be Stepford Children, which is why they also try to put these kids on the "drug du jour" to keep them from acting like 5-year old boys SHOULD act. It's the little freaks that act just like these "educators" want them to act who should really be scrutinized.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:07 am to Zappas Stache)

Yeah, We got it. Your wife is an educational "professional" completely selfless servant of The People and compliant with all state practices and procedures.She can just "tell" and that should be good enough for us.

And her experience in Government Schools in "the inner-city" makes you an expert on the standards and practices of private religious schools in the burbs.

And futhermore these schools could never foster an environment that favors one kind of kid over another. Because Administrators and teachers would NEVER do something that is not in the best interest of a student, especially if it ensures that enrollment for incoming kindergartners stays at the required 104%.

No. Your wife teaches in a government school. And she's a lovely person who can "tell". So we are all full of shite. Got it.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:10 am to Captain Ron)

quote:bad parenting?

Yes. I am sorry we did not find a more rigorous academic environment for him until later. My daughter was "student of the year" at her school and had her pic in the paper for getting a perfect score on part of the standardized test. All three are headed to Baton Rouge High with A's B's. We've failed.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:13 am to Chuck U Farley)

quote: despite being 6 in all 7,8,&9 yr old leagues. I think he will benefit from playing up in age. He hasn't hit his growth spurt yet so he is usually shorter than most of his teammates. I'm 6'2 so I'm sure he will catch up.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:14 am to Lsupimp)

My school had a sept. 1st cutoff, I was born 2 weeks before that and I started at 5 despite the school strongly discouraging it. 2 weeks later they wanted to put me in 1st grade because I was so far ahead of everyone else with my reading. Mom didn't let them out me in 1st grade

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:15 am to Lsupimp)

Some studies I have read in regard to boys (I have a girl and would like to redshirt her if her dad is ok with it) say that they are more confident and successful. I would think it wouldn't hurt to be taller and a year older as a freshman...you get to drive first, your taller than the girl you want to bang etc...there are some wacky statistics about older students and success.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:19 am to jennBN)

quote:there are some wacky statistics about older students and success.

There is also this.

quote:One study shows that redshirting benefits disappear by third grade, noting the students are all being taught at the same rate throughout school. It also noted age has no effect on household income, marital status, wages home ownership or even college enrollment.

Another study even goes further, saying that redshirted children are more likely to drop out of school or get arrested.

Even though a parent may have in mind a better education for their child, redshirting a child seems more to be driven by the social and physical aspects rather than the educational one.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:22 am to Lsupimp)

I was told this by my sons kindergarten teacher at evangel. He did have some problems with grades but we got him the hell out of that school and into A.C.Steere and he is finishing up 5th grade and got into Caddo Middle Magnet. So my take is they just can't teach and only want to keep boys back for sports later.

re: Holding boys back in Kindergarten so they can "mature". (Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:22 am to jennBN)

Yep. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell makes the case. Again though-it depends on the child and the PARENTAL decision, not some administrator with a profit motive. A parent knows the kid.And if a teacher can't point to any SPECIFIC issue other than "he's immature" then screw that.